Mr. Robot Named One Of SXSW’s Best Experiences

Posted on 3/17/16

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When USA Network premiered season one of Sam Esmail’s groundbreaking series Mr. Robot last year, it was one of five shows to debut at SXSW 2015. The buzz that followed the screening and panel with the creator and cast helped launch the show into an instant success.

A year later, Mr. Robot returned to SXSW as the new kid who made good -- a Golden Globe for Best Drama and Best Supporting Actor for Christian Slater, SAG and Globe nominations for Rami Malek, a nod from the Writers Guild Association, and a mention on pretty much every ‘Best Of’ TV list for 2015.

So, it’s no surprise that the Mr. Robot activation on the corner of Austin’s Congress Ave. and West 4th Street was one of the stars of the festival. But don't just take our word for it. Adweek named Mr. Robot as one of the top five brand activations from the whole weekend, calling it "an unforgettable experience."

The crown jewel of Mr. Robot takeover was a massive, 100-foot Ferris Wheel -- a Coney Island-inspired carnival ride that captured one of the most iconic scenes of season one. At the foot of the wondrous wheel was the fsociety arcade, populated with classic gaming consoles (including "Mallard Murder," an Easter egg for fans of the show) and a hackers’ den for festival-goers to watch the pilot and unwind.

When Robot stars Malek and Slater arrived at the Austin version of fsociety’s lair, they rode the Ferris wheel, Periscoped for fans from the activation, and even defaced a mural with graffiti that said, "Mr. Robot was here."